Post-Pits
by Magicalghostgirl
Summary: Based off of Cordria's 'Pits' Danny now has his friends to help him through his depression and self-blame, but if it can get worse, it will, right? DISCONTINUED, EXPLANATION INSIDE
1. Prologue

_Hi! This is a fanfiction based on Cordria's fanfictions 'Pits' and 'Final Exam.' In that order. It is sooo much fun to write! But I also have to finish Captured? Because it was supposed to lead to a Christmas follow upper. Oh well, thought I may as well let this stew and collect! Reviews are wanted and critical to success! Please?I also need help thinking up a title...Help!_

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**Prologue: Chaos?**

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Disclaimer: Danny Phantom owned by Butch Hartman, Pits and Final Exam plotlines are Cordria (Who actually said I could post this) and this plotline is mine! Enjoy!

"Come on, Danny. Let's go." Somehow, Sam's voice penetrated into the vortex of emotion that was my head. I let my two friends lead me away from the classroom in which I had made the confession of what had changed my life. Dimly, I wondered why no one was talking, but before I could find an answer, my mind was swirling away to an even more confusing were Sam and Tucker still here? They knew I was a murderer, so why were they still here, talking calmly to me? My muddled mind couldn't formulate the solution, so I asked.  
"Why are you still helping me? I'm a murderer." My voice sounded weak even to me.  
"Dude, we're your friends, we'll always be there for you."  
"Yeah, it wasn't your fault. Besides, it's not like you wanted to... to hurt those people. Ghosts. Walker made you, and you've been beating yourself up since. That doesn't sound like a murderer to me."

I grinned a bit through my tears, smiling for the first time in months.


	2. Chapter 1

_So... I have practically no reviews for my other story, Captured?... so I am running out of motivation, inspiration, stuff like that. Yes, already! Us authors rely on thing like reviews! If you like, it, simply say you like it, but if you don't say anything, well, we authors think you don't like our writing. If you don't like it, say so, and tell us something that will help us improve. And no, I am not being mean or rude, I honestly need to know if people like the story. If they don't... Well, sorry story. I'll just have to write you for myself and not post you. :( Also, the sooner I finish this story, the sooner you get your Christmas special! See you soon! Hopefully! Bye! Uh... School..._

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**Chapter 1: Returning**

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I sat on the stairs that led to my room, listening to Sam, Tucker, Mr. Lancer, and my parents in the kitchen.  
As soon as we had walked in the door, my parents had seen a change in me, one I knew was there, but I couldn't see what its significance was. I went to my room, leaving my friends to talk to my parents, and sneaking down later to eavesdrop when, surprisingly, Mr. Lancer appeared.  
"I see Ms. Manson and Mr. Foley have already given you a short summary of what... occurred today." The nasal voice of my "favorite teacher" drifted to me. "Good," Mr. Lancer said, answering an unseen nod. "Perhaps you would like to see the essay your son left behind?"  
"That would be wonderful, Mr. Lancer, but are you allowed to show us the exams before they've been graded?" my mother asked.  
"Not really, but I think this is a special case." Mr. Lancer seemed uncomfortable.  
"Let me see that!" My dad's voice broke in, and I heard a rustle as he grabbed my work out of a hand.  
There were a few minutes of silence while my folks pored over the paper and I could hear a slight sniffle.  
"Mr. Lancer, do you think Danny's parents could keep his essay?" Sam was now speaking for my parents, so the sniffle I had heard must have been Mom, crying.  
"Of course." There was a squeal of chairs on linoleum. "Oh, and Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, if you ever need or want to talk about Danny, feel free to call me."

The next morning, I went through my new routine. This is pretty much how it went.

7:00 am - Turn off alarm. Maybe.

7:10 am - Get out of bed and dress. Slowly.

7:20 am - Stare at myself in the mirror. I still can't get used to the grey hair and blue-green eyes.

7:22 am - Try to go human. Then ghost. Still not working...

7:30 am - Occasionally I'll float downstairs for some toast - even though I hate toast.

7:40 am - Look at Tuck as he comes in and float out the door - he'll follow.

7:55 am - Arrive at school - five minutes late. That's not new.

Yup. I was going to school today. I mean, it was the last day, and I didn't want to just skip. That made me feel... weak. I hadn't even thought of that until now. THAT was why I was going to school today. Maybe I was getting closer to normal. If being half ghost can be called normal.  
I knew people would look at me even stranger than before, but for some reason, I felt more optimistic about today. Except for my therapy session after school. I hate those things.  
So anyways. Walking into class late, and receiving no dirty look from the math teacher was a little discerning, something I never noticed until today. In fact, she pretty much ignored me, except for a weird little encouraging smile. No teacher ever just smiled at me for no reason... But I understand now. Even all the staff had heard about my exam the day before. How that happened between the last hour to the first hour was a little confusing, I mean, how many of the kids in my seventh hour had enough direct contact with teachers after school to let them pick up on the latest gossip in LESS THAN A DAY?  
I was right, though. Everyone was staring at me, but instead of with curiosity and disgust, it was pity, sympathy, and even fear. I flinched away from those glances, seeing all my old opponents again - Slasher, crazed by just three fights, Doric, who wouldn't fight back, the one whose name I never learned... NO! I slammed my palms into my eyes and the flashbacks fizzled away. The teacher looked my way nervously and carried on.  
I got my way through the first classes okay, but they were the same as first hour. The teachers barely noticing me, my peers glancing at me when they thought I wasn't looking, flashbacks occurring every hour or so.  
Today, since it was the last day and I was feeling... different, when Sam asked if I would eat with them - as she had been for a month or so - I said yes. She seemed surprised and I think she had been asking out of habit, not expecting a reply.  
Lunch was busier than normal, but that was another thing I expected. Of course, I had four panic attacks. It was more panic for my friends and attacking for me.  
By seventh hour, I was expecting Mr. Lancer to ignore me like the other teachers, but of course not. He actually pulled me aside and said, "How are you?" After replying fine, he continued. "Thank you for sharing yesterday. I know it must have been hard. And feel free to come to me if you ever need to talk." He was really sympathetic about it. It wasn't weird, though, it was comforting.  
That class was definitely better than the other classes. No one was really gossiping much about me - they had the first hand experience of listening to me yesterday - and I actually understood class. I even got called on to answer a question about walruses and oysters - a strange little poem I had learned a bit about from Muerto, a ghost who liked poetry and who I... Killed.

"Hey, man. Up for the Nasty Burger?" Tucker seemed a lot more hopeful than usual.  
"Sorry. I have something going on today." My voice still wasn't the best. One day isn't going to change months of misuse.  
"Oh. Okay." Tuck and Sam started walking to our old hang out, glancing back at me every once in awhile. Finally, the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle pulled up, just in time for my mom to drop me off at the weird little building with weird little rooms where I would spend a good hour of my day not really talking to a short balding guy about being forced to be a murderer.  
"Hello, Daniel. How are you today?" The ritual greeting came from Mr. O'Hare. The one I never answer.  
So of course I answered. "I'm fine."  
He seemed kind of surprised, but he got over it and led us into his room. It was, first of all, tiny. Probably no more than six feet by six feet. It's also completely black and white. Everything, the couch, the ceiling and walls, his clothes, even the computer screen. I don't know why, maybe it's his form of therapy for himself. I mean, he listens to disturbed teens for a living. Definitely depressing.  
"So Daniel. What did you have for breakfast?" Another question I never answer. If I do, he normally ends up lecturing me about eating more food, building myself up, etcetera, etcetera.  
I sighed. "A piece of toast."  
The ghost of a smile appears on his face. I guess he thought he was getting somewhere with his little every day trivia. "You really should eat more. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I sighed again. "What about lunch?"  
"Nothing. School food is inedible and I wasn't hungry."  
"Daniel. Not eating isn't going to help your body move on, eating is. You don't want an eating disorder on top of depression." Mr. O'Hare went on some more, me staring at him and yet not really listening to what he was saying. When he noticed I wasn't paying attention anymore. he moved on, clearing his throat nervously  
" I heard about what happened at school yesterday." Of course he did. "Do you want to talk about it?" Silence. "Daniel, since it seems it was easiest for you to get your thoughts out on paper. Maybe it would be easiest for you to keep a journal about your feelings." After Mr. O'Hare going on about things I should start doing, I couldn't wait for the hands on the clock to reach four. By the time it did, I had realized something. I was a ghost. He wasn't. He didn't understand what was going on with me. Maybe that was why he wasn't helping me. Maybe that was why this was the reason this time was the most depressing of my day. No one here knows how things affect me. We're pretty much opposites.  
I had also realized something else. If this wouldn't help me because the guy I was talking to was a guy...  
"Daniel?" I was snapped out of my thoughts. "Do you have anything else you would like to discuss?"  
"Yeah."  
He blinked. "You do? Really? I mean, oh. What is it?"  
"I think I know why these sessions aren't helping me." He looked even more interested. "I"m pretty much the opposite of you. I'm a teenage ghost who has had to MURDER to survive. You're an adult human who only suffers when you hear something emotional in this little office."  
Now the short doctor was just exasperated as he always is when I mention being a ghost. Is it that he really doesn't believe that I'm a ghost that he always reacts like this?  
"Danny. I can see why you feel this way. But the truth is, you aren't really a ghost. You're just being affected by the experience of being locked up and starved. You're a regular human being just like me."  
"Yeah? Then why can I do this?" I flew into the air, shot my blades out - don't worry, I wasn't planning on hurting the ignorant doctor - and went through the wall. I flew over my parents waiting for me in the lobby and raced to Sam's. My folks would be a while talking to the therapist about my session.  
"Danny?" I heard as I rushed into Sam's room. "What are you doing here?"  
"Can't I vist my own friend?" I rasped.  
"Well of course, but -"  
I cut her off. "Sam, I just had an idea when I was listening to that crazy O'Hare. Do you think you could come to the ghost zone with me?"  
"Sure, I can come now if you want, but - "  
Again, I cut her off, taking her around the waist and going intangible so as to get back outside. "Wow. You're a lot heavier than usual."  
"It's not me," she said softly. "It's you. When's the last time you saw yourself in a mirror?""Every morning."  
"Your whole body?"  
I didn't answer.

"Alright, can you tell me where we're going now?" We were in the basement, in front of the portal I had been avoiding.  
"I guess. We're going to visit Frostbite."  
"Frostbite? Why him?"  
"He's the best ghost friend I have, and I need to talk to a ghost that won't try to hang me on his wall or feed on my depression and make me feel worse. Although, Spectra IS a psychologist..." I mused. "No. I can trust Frostbite."  
"Okay then, but I need to get a coat if we are going there." When Sam was bundled up, we were off. I remembered the last time I had been here. We had been trying to get away from the Pits, my dad and I, and the whole time I had been in a kind of daze. I thought it was a dream. Could it be a dream? Could this all be a dream? Was I still in the Pits? I shuddered, pushing the unwelcome thoughts away. Sam helped, interrupting my very much unwelcome musings with a question.  
"So are you going to tell me what's so important that you're coming here for the first time in months? And why Tucker isn't here?" Sam actually sounded concerned, but I was glad I could sense that. It meant I was still here, not off in the Lala Land of not caring.  
"Yeah. I guess I should." My voice cracked and I paused for a second. "You know those sessions I've been in?" Sam nodded and I continued, "Well, they don't have any impact on me, and I realized why." I told her all of the thoughts that had come to me in that one epiphany.  
"So I figured I should talk to Frost-"  
" What are you doing here, whelp?" I winced at the familiar voice, turning around and bracing myself. Not to attack, though. That thought didn't even cross my mind. I had braced myself for the sting of a blow I knew I couldn't return.  
I was about to reply with a not-so-smart remark about therapy when Sam saved me again.  
"Is it your business, Skulker? We're just going to visit a friend. Not all ghosts hate us, you know."  
"Must be urgent for you to venture back to this place so soon, hmm? Not very long ago you were trying to escape the Pits after murd-" My eyes widened and I started shaking. Memories of green and red blood swirled in my vision and blaring crowds shouted in my ears. Suddenly everything went black.  
When I came to, the first thing I noticed was that I was on something soft. Then I noticed the arguing nearby and finally the splitting headache I had that quickly dissipated. When, for the most part, I couldn't feel anymore pain, I could understand the voices around me.  
"Why is it the first thing you did was remind him of what happened?" I recognized Sam, fighting for me as always. I was wondering who she was scolding when Skulker - yes, Skulker, replied.  
"Well it's not like I wanted him to freak out. And I was surprised he was here. I thought it was a hunting opportunity. Why would he come back here without all of his skills back?"  
I groaned, hoping it would catch their attention. To my surprise, it wasn't Sam who came over. I was now looking up at the white head of Frostbite.  
"Hello Great One," he said kindly. "Are you feeling better?"  
"I guess," I replied, smiling slightly at his peoples' title for me. "What happened? Why did I pass out?"  
He looked at me worriedly. "Well, I think it was the sudden reminding of... something, causing the sudden renewal of post-traumatic distress that your body could not at the moment handle, so it shut itself down. Has this happened before?"  
"I was right. He knows therapy," I muttered.  
"Hmm?"  
"Nothing. Yeah, it's happened before, just more pre-trauma, not post." I propped myself up, looking around. Skulker and Sam were standing by Frostbite, who looked as abdominal snowman as ever. "Getting to know each other pretty good?" I joked. Sam grinned at me. "So why's Skulker here?" I asked, ignoring the ghost in question.  
"He-"  
"I was just leaving. See you, whelp." We all stared after him when suddenly, I had this huge feeling, like I was about to yawn. I tried to hold it in, but, well, they come whether you want them to or not.  
"Danny, you should be resting," Sam said. "I have to tell your folks where you are. Hey Frostbite, is it alright if they come back with me? I know they'll want to."  
"If they are respectful of our ways and rules then yes. How are you getting there, though? You can't fly and-"  
"Danny! Are you okay?"  
"Dani? What are you doing here?" I asked, slowly fading back into sleep.  
"Oh, well I met Skulker and right before I was going to blast him, just for fun you know, and he said you were here and..." I fell asleep.

My eyes blinked open. Just like that, I was awake, having just experienced the best sleep I had had in a very long time.  
"Ah, Great One! You are awake!" I glanced around, spotting the speaker who was another of Frostbite's people. "I will fetch our leader." Shrugging off his rather quick departure, I scanned the room. I hadn't had a very good look when I had last woken, so I took in everything, from the weird liquid filled container I had found myself floating in about a year ago when I had visited, to the plate of cookies on my nightstand.  
"You can eat those if you wish." Frostbite had snuck in just as I was staring at the mouth-watering treats.  
"Oh. Uh, thanks." I grabbed one, biting into a gooey mess of peanut butter chocolate chip goodness. "So, are you going to tell me what I missed? And why Skulker was still hanging out around here after my episode?"  
"Of course. Would you like me to start with Skulker?" I nodded. "Well, first, let me tell you, he was the best motivation in our little cloaked group three months ago. In fact, it was his idea. We had been thinking of staging a rebellion, but no one actually did anything."  
"Until the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter threatened to hang everyone's pelt on his chimney?" I said sarcastically.  
"Well, actually he was going to paper his wall with us, but that is beside the point. He gathered everyone together and was like our leader. He really does respect you. And as for why he was here, I'm sure he just didn't want his hard work to be spoiled. Sam could not have carried you here by herself."  
I tried taking that in for a moment. Nope, can't see it. Skulker respecting me? Still not seeing it... "I can't believe it. He risked his life for me? Wow."  
"Yes. He knows that you are capable of becoming a very powerful ghost, one that could save... I mean one that could take HIS pelt for your own if you so wished." He fiddled around, uncomfortable because of that little slip that I was pretending to have missed. "Anyways, this journey was surely more about you than Skulker, so would you like to tell me what is on your mind?"  
"You forgot to tell me what happened while I was out."  
"Oh yes, well you were only asleep for about six hours in your time. Danielle, your... Cousin, was it?" I nodded. "She offered to take your friend back to her dimension. However, she needed to eat for more energy because her form was unstable, I believe she said. They left about four hours ago, and so shall be back in a few more hours if they do not run into any problems. Really, you only missed the food, but as I understand from your Sam, you do not need very much nourishment, much like us."  
"Yeah, I can go a few days on just a piece of toast and still not really be hungry. I guess that's just a side effect of my two halves merging." I then explained for the second time what I had thought of after school. This time I wasn't interrupted, though. "So, I was kind of wondering if you could help me out. If you want," I finished uncertainly.  
Frostbite thought for a moment. Just as I was about to say it didn't matter, he replied, "Of course I will help you, I do not see why I wouldn't want to, but you asking in itself is showing that you have already taken the first step. You have decided you wish to find healing and acceptance, and that fact will make everything much easier than if you were simply forced to take advice from this man you were speaking of." Frostbite sat silent for another moment, and I did as well, not wanting to break into his reverie. Just then, another snow ghost ran in.  
"Frostbite! Sir, Clockwork is here. He says he wishes to speak to you. He also asked how the boy was doing. I assume he meant the Great One?" He glanced at me. "What shall I tell him?"  
"Hmm, so many visitors lately. Well, Blizzard, please tell Clockwork that I will speak to him in a moment and personally inform him of the Great One's condition." Blizzard nodded, rushing out of the room. Frostbite sighed. "It seems I must leave you for now, Daniel. You may stay for as long as you need or want. I will have Blizzard come and show you to a nicer room." He sighed again. "Blizzard is a newer ghost. I believe he is starting to feel the need to help, as he has been volunteering for much more. Perhaps he could give you some company, help you around our lands?"  
I nodded. "Sure, Sam and Dani won't be back for a while, and I'd like to help him if he wants to do something. You guys have always been helpful to me."  
Frostbite grinned, already heading towards the open wall serving as a doorway. "Thank you, Daniel. I will leave you now. Clockwork is not a ghost to keep waiting."

A while later, Blizzard and I were out in the practice ring where I had first learned my ice powers-and froze half of the nearby ghosts.  
"So are you going to show me some of your powers, Great One?" I had asked him if he could show me to the practice ring and he had been almost shaking with excitement, trying not to ask the one question that had taking over his mind.  
I smiled. "If I can still use them all. I haven't done anything more than fly and go intangible for the longest time."  
"That's more than I can do," he commented quietly. "I can barely float. I can't even make my han... paws glow from ice power. And I've been here for... huh. A long time, I suppose. I can't remember how long I've been here." Blizzard seemed confused.  
"Don't worry. My ice powers took forever to come in, and I'm still gaining more powers. Or I was. But anyways, what do you want me to try?" I fell back onto changing the subject, deciding not to go into the intricate explanation of how time works here.  
Blizzard perked up immediately. "Can I see your ectoluminum blades?" I hesitated but a second before releasing the metal from my arms. Two tiny, silvery blades extended a few inches from the top of my wrists. Slowly, I had them grow, shaping them in my head. When I was done, instead of three inch long mini-knives, they were three foot long sabres. I looked at Blizzard.  
Picking his jaw off the ground, he asked the question I was expecting: "What else can you do?"  
Grinning, I showed him everything I could think of that had to do with my blades: everything from shrinking and growing them to enhancing ectoplasmic rays. After that, I went through my natural skills, the first ones any ghost gets. I flew through the air, the ground, and suddenly appeared in front of Blizzard after becoming visible again. I sat down abruptly. "Wow, that was great! I haven't felt that good in months."  
Blizzard came and sat next to me. "That was amazing! I can't believe you can do all of that!"  
"I can do more, but I'm starving now. Do you think I could go get something to eat?"

After eating a huge meal of cookies and milk, my energy was back and I was ready to try the harder stuff. First, Blizzard and I set up a bunch of targets. Then I built a huge ball of ectoplasm, using my own energy since I had retracted my blades. When that was feeling easy, I decided to try something new. I stretched the ball out. I stretched it further and further until it was taller than me. Finally, I flicked it at a dummy like a whip, but instead of letting it hit and cut through my target, I let go, guiding it with my mind. I couldn't make it take sharp turns that would take it off of its path because I haven't learned any telekinesis yet, but I could make it carefully curl around the dummy, restraining it but not really damaging it. Just as I was wondering why the ectoplasm was still, well, ectoplasm, I felt a string tugging on my store of energy.  
Ever so carefully, I mentally followed the strand feeding on my energy. As I had guessed, it led to the ropes wrapped around the dummy. I cut the connection and suddenly the ropes expanded. "Crap. Run, Blizzard!" I was just realizing that I was nearest the ropes when they exploded.

I slowly opened my eyes, wondering why nothing hurt.  
"Are you alright, Great One?"  
"Uh, yeah, I think so." I stared at the crater my explosion had created. "Why am I alive, Blizzard?" Turning towards him, I saw that his eyes were gleaming.  
"I did it! I saved you! I flew towards you and turned us intangible!" He was so excited that I couldn't help the huge grin that stretched across my face, despite the near- death experience.  
"Guess it's a good thing I accidently blew those ectoplasmic ropes up then, huh?" He was saved from answering when Frostbite and Clockwork rushed to the field.  
"Great One! Are you alright?" yelled Frostbite.  
"Frostbite! Frostbite!" Blizzard ran up to him, bellowing like a young kid or possibly my dad. "I flew! And I went intangible!"  
"You did? I didn't realize those particular skills could do so much damage." Clockwork spoke for the first time. He switched to his adult form and raised an eyebrow, first at the pit in the middle of the ring and then at me.  
"Um." I rubbed my neck uncomfortably. "I was experimenting with my ghost ray and it kind of, um, backfired. Blizzard saved us both, though!" I said quickly.  
Clockwork continued looking at me, rapidly switching form, but Frostbite took it all in stride.  
"Good! Blizzard has control of his ghost powers and the Great One is alive. I will have someone fix the hole up, too. In the meantime, if the two of you are going to practice some more, practice in the last loop. It is impervious to explosions. Clockwork? Back to business?"  
"Yes, of course. Let's go." We finally broke eye contact and two of my best ghost friends floated away.

"Danny, may I speak with you?"  
I glanced away from Blizzard to Frostbite, who nodded. He would continue instructing Blizzard in controlling his ice power.  
"Sure, Clockwork," I answered, following the now-toddler to the ice crevasse he and Frostbite had just left. "What's up?"  
He quietly slipped a time medallion onto me, motioning not to question it while answering me: "Not much really. I wanted to ask about how you're feeling, and mainly what you told Frostbite." He nodded at me, gesturing to play along.  
"Oh. Uh, I'm feeling pretty good, much better than I had been."  
"Good, very good." Suddenly he twirled his staff, freezing time for everyone but us.


	3. VERY IMPORTANT READ NOW!

_First thing I'm gonna say: Hear me out please! Alright, so this isn't a chapter, it is a very important author's note. I have decided I bit off more than I could chew with this story. I was only thinking about how cool something like this could be and not what I would need to do to finish this story. For example, I need more background knowledge, and to s of research. I also am not commuted to this story. I want to give readers the best I can, and this is not something I can do that with. So come at me with your pitchforks and torches! I just don't want to let anyone down. Worse than this is. I may take it up again later, but I doubt it, so if you want, PM me about taking this over. If you do, beware. I will read through your stories to see your writing skill, because I don't want this idea going to waste. Also, I will post on here if someone does take it over. Thanks for not killing me!_


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